THE AIM/NCOM MOTORCYCLE E-NEWS SERVICE is brought to you by Aid to Injured Motorcyclists (A.I.M.) and the National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM), and is sponsored by the Law Offices of Richard M. Lester. For more information, call us at 1-(800) ON-A-BIKE or visit us on our website at < NCOM COAST TO COAST BIKER NEWS NCOM CONVENTION TAKES OKLAHOMA BY STORM– Despite deadly tornados that ripped through Oklahoma last May, the National Coalition of Motorcyclists scheduled their 2004 Convention for Oklahoma City, and during the weekend of May 6-8 the only thunder heard in the vicinity was from fired up bikes and riders. Near-record numbers of bikers roared into the Biltmore Hotel and jammed into meeting halls for the 19th annual NCOM Convention, hosted by ABATE of Oklahoma and the Oklahoma Confederation of Clubs. Dubbed “Winds of Change” by event organizers, the conference brought together representatives of motorcycle rights organizations, patch clubs and rider groups to share knowledge, form bonds and plot tactics in an ever-changing whirlwind of politics, public perception and legal proceedings. Meetings and seminars included; “Stricter Penalties Laws for Drivers of Cages Injuring Bikers”; “Status of EPA Regulations and it’s Effect on Your Business and Your Ride”; “Motorcycle Safety Awareness & Your Groups”; “Motorcycle Insurance”; “The US PATRIOT ACT and It’s Effects on Your Civil Liberties”; “Gang Enhancement Laws”; “How to be a Successful Grass Roots Lobbyist”; and a Mock Legislative Session on the topic of state emissions testing for motorcycles. The traditional Silver Spoke Awards Banquet capped the weekend’s festivities, as the following people were honored for their contributions to motorcycling: Government – Rep. Teresa Forcier (R-PA); Legal – Marty Fox, Washington AIM Attorney; and Media – Paul Allen Cianci, Publisher of Full Throttle magazine. Special Recognition Awards were given to Bobbi Hartman (ABATE of Arizona lobbyist), Debra Knox (State Information Director for Concerned Bikers Association of North Carolina) and Preacher Mike (Christian Crusaders – posthumously). ABATE of Pennsylvania was honored with a Legislative Award for their recent helmet law modification effort. The 2004 Ron Roloff Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Bill Carlton, a lifelong rider, past president of the Texas Motorcycle Riders Association, and veteran of two successful helmet law battles in Texas. Next year’s 20th Annual NCOM Convention will be held in Kentucky next Mother’s Day weekend, May 5-7, 2005, so make plans now to be part of biker history. TRANSPORTATION BILL SPUTTERS– Hope is fading fast for passing a transportation bill this Congressional session, as legislators are wary of provoking the White House during campaign season. While supporters stress that the measure would create jobs and boost the economy, President Bush wants to rein in a ballooning federal deficit and has warned that he will veto any legislation costing more than $256 billion, unless Congress can find a way to pay for it without dipping into general revenues. In April, the House voted overwhelmingly 357-56 to approve H.R. 3550, the “Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy For Users” (TEA LU), a six-year $284 billion transportation funding measure which includes provisions to expand state rider training programs and other motorcycle safety initiatives. The Senate approved a similar measure 76-21 in February, S. 1072, the “Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act” (SAFE-TEA) to reauthorize $318 billion for highway funding, mass transit and safety programs, but does not include language specifically addressing motorcycle safety concerns. Both bills were to go to a conference committee to iron out discrepancies and submit a final bill to the President for his signature or veto, but no date has been set. To complicate matters even further, a broad coalition of business, labor and environmental interests, among others, recently drew a firm line at $318 billion, and sent a letter vowing not to support any legislation that drops below that amount. Both chambers have enough votes to override a veto, but no one wants to send the President a bill he will likely veto. Since Congress could extend current transportation spending through a continuing resolution, doing nothing may be the safest option, though anything can happen during an election year. U.S. SENATE DECLARES MAY AS NATIONAL MOTORCYCLE AWARENESS MONTH!– For the first time in history, the federal government is officially recognizing May 2004 as National Motorcycle Safety and Awareness Month, thanks to the efforts of retiring U.S. Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell of Colorado. Campbell, an avid rider and longtime advocate of motorcycling causes, introduced Senate Resolution 168 which was passed by unanimous consent of the U.S. Senate on April 28th. “Motorcycles have become a big part of the American landscape and occupy a very important position in the history of this nation,” said Campbell in introducing S.RES.168 last June, adding that “As we continue to move through the riding season, I will continue to work with my colleagues here in the Senate and motorcycle rights groups such as the National Coalition of Motorcyclists, the American Motorcycle Association, Motorcycle Safety Foundation, ABATE, and the Motorcycle Riders Foundation to find solutions to educate the general motoring public about motorcycle safety and awareness. This resolution is a strong, positive step in the right direction to help achieve this goal.” Although virtually every state and major municipality has issued “Motorcycle Awareness” proclamations over the past several years, no such Congressional resolution has ever been passed to bring national awareness to motorcycle safety. Representative Marilyn Musgrave of Colorado has introduced a similar measure in the House. Senator Campbell has been riding for more than 50 years and has been a champion for motorcyclists’ issues on the federal level, including serving on the National Coalition of Motorcyclists’ Legislative Task Force (NCOM-LTF). LIVE TO RIDE, RIDE TO WORK– Motorcyclists are encouraged to ride their bikes to work on the third Wednesday of July each year in a public demonstration of how many of us ride and how utilitarian motorcycles are. July 21, 2004 will be the 13th annual National Ride To Work Day, so mount up and let’s roll! NEW TRAFFIC FATALITY FIGURES RELEASED BY NHTSA– Newly released traffic fatality figures reveal that there were 43,220 deaths on U.S. roads in 2003, an increase from 42,815 in 2002 and the highest number since 1990, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. While passenger cars, vans and light trucks experienced a decrease in fatal accidents, large trucks, SUV’s and motorcycles showed increased involvement in fatalities. The preliminary report from NHTSA, released on April 28, 2004, indicates that motorcycle-related deaths are up 11 percent for 2003 with 3,592 motorcyclists killed, compared to the previous year when 3,244 riders died in 2002. Increases in registrations and miles traveled were not taken into account when computing the data. Bicyclist and pedestrian fatalities were also down. YOU BET YOUR LIFE — The National Safety Council has computed the odds of the average American biting the dust from the most common killers, such as accidents and diseases, and has determined that a car occupant’s lifetime odds of dying in a car accident are 1 in 242, while the chances of dying in a motorcycle accident are just 1 in 1,293! For a complete list of morbidity calculations, visit http://danger.mongabay.com/injury_odds.htm. HELMET LAW REPEAL WOULD BOOST ECONOMY– As states face budget constraints and financial challenges, a study commissioned by bikers suggests that weakened helmet requirements could kick-start the economy. The study done for ABATE of Michigan by Jake Miklojcik, who owns Lansing-based Michigan Consultants, suggests the state could collect $40 million in new sales and income taxes by joining the 31 other states that have eased or repealed mandatory helmet laws. The financial windfall would be the result of an estimated 20 percent increase in motorcycle sales; the addition of hundreds of jobs to the state’s motorcycle industry; and a boost in tourism spending by bikers who now avoid Michigan and its helmet law. Michigan’s House of Representatives voted in 2002 to repeal the law, but the measure died in the Senate. Now, bills allowing motorcyclists 21 and older to ride without helmets if they have completed safety training are pending in the House and Senate transportation committees. The House has enough votes to end the mandatory helmet law and repeal is “pretty close” in the Senate, said state Rep. Leon Drolet, adding that a vote could come before the Legislature’s summer recess. “If the economic study is accurate, it would be another reason to support the bill,” said Drolet, who does not ride motorcycles. “But individual rights, personal freedom and personal liberty arguments are the ones most compelling to me. If additional revenue comes to the state, great.” In the meantime, the Concerned Bikers Association of North Carolina is showing their legislators that motorcyclists are letting their chain-drive wallets do the voting as they head for freer climes in surrounding states. “Harley riders are, you know, 50 or older with a household income of about $75,000 and this will bring motorcycle rallies to our beaches, to our coastal areas, and to our mountains that other states are getting because they won’t come with a mandatory helmet law,” said Rep. John Sauls. GREEKS PUSHING HELMETS– Greek police in Athens are getting heavy handed with bare-headed bikers, and penalties include possible bike confiscations on the spot. Greece used to have a very liberal attitude to helmet wearing, which gave the impression that freedom of choice prevailed in that country. According the Motorcycle Action Group of the United Kingdom, “There are suspicions that a European Commission decision to enforce helmet wearing across the European Union might be behind the Greeks less generous interpretation of their law.” REBEL ART– Since the motorcycle jacket was popularized in the movie The Wild One, its attributes and styling have been adapted into identity-transforming high-fashion. Now the Phoenix Art Museum has organized a Motorcycle Jacket art exhibit that surveys how fashion designers, such as Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel, Moschino and Dolce & Gabanna, have interpreted the look of the motorcycle jacket in their creations, from black leather rebels to colorful motocross racing styles. The exhibition, which runs through August 29, also includes a black leather jacket that was custom tailored for Elvis Presley by Mike Howard of Beverly Hills, on loan to the exhibition from Graceland, and a garment worn by Cher. McCHOPPER– A custom motorcycle designed by Desperado Motorcycles will be auctioned off to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Ronald McDonald House Charities. The bike, which will incorporate visual elements of McDonald’s, has begun a 25-city tour visiting 35 Ronald McDonald Houses and other events before it reaches Chicago on November 6 for the Awards of Excellence Global Charity Gala, where it will be sold to the highest bidder and 100% of the proceeds will benefit RMHC. NEWS OF THE WEIRD: CYCLIST HIT BY CASH– A Taiwanese motorcyclist was hit by a fortune after a $600,000 kidnap ransom dropped on his head. Lu Fang-nan, 57, was knocked off his motorcycle after a relative of a kidnap victim dropped the money from a highway overpass. The stunned man re-mounted his bike and sought medical help for a swollen leg — and the kidnappers fled with the cash. The person who dropped the money was following orders from kidnappers who had seized an electronics merchant. Lu said he did not realize he had been hit by the falling fortune until television news reported the businessman’s release and the delivery site of the ransom payment. “Such a way to pay ransom is dangerous. It could get people killed,” the unlucky cyclist told the United Daily News. But the incident paid off for the kidnapping victim, who was released unharmed. Police say they are hunting several suspects. QUOTABLE QUOTE: “Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming: WOW – What a Ride!”
Compiled & Edited by Bill Bish,
National Coalition of Motorcyclists
Author Unknown
